


Piglin Instincts, huh?

by a_little_hazy



Series: simping over my own lore [4]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adopted Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Gen, Hurt Ranboo (Video Blogging RPF), Parental Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Piglin Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Sort Of, Technoblade Angst (Video Blogging RPF), techno do the piglin thing, they take care of da boi :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:06:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29926272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_little_hazy/pseuds/a_little_hazy
Summary: Ranboo gets sick, and Techno has to take care of him.aka: i let myself indulge in ooc fluff using piglin instincts as my excuse
Relationships: Ranboo & Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: simping over my own lore [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2064108
Comments: 29
Kudos: 517





	Piglin Instincts, huh?

**Author's Note:**

> whoops i accidentally made another comfort fic

Ranboo was sick. He was sick with  _ something _ , and Phil couldn't figure out what.

Two days ago, he had collapsed in the middle of the snow, right in front of Phil, while claiming that he was  _ completely fine _ . Phil had hauled the poor kid into his house without a second thought, fretting over him the moment they were in the door. Living with Techno, who hid way too many stab wounds, had trained Phil for moments like this. He checked Ranboo for injuries, any cuts, or nasty bruising that would allude to internal damage, relieved to find none. So the kid was sick. That was fine; Phil could deal with that.

Except he couldn't.

No matter what kind of medicine Phil brewed up, no matter the potion or treatment, Ranboo's condition remained the same. His skin was hot to the touch, almost burning Phil's skin as he checked Ranboo's temperature yet again. Ranboo tossed and groaned in his sleep, only getting mere  _ moments _ of genuine rest for his exhausted body. He barely spent any time awake, couldn't keep his food down, and could scarcely stay hydrated. Ranboo's skin was beginning to pale as well, the stark black of his hair reminding Phil how much his skin had sunken constantly.

Phil started pulling out his feathers with stress.

Technoblade wouldn't even be back for another day or two, so Phil couldn't even consult with his friend. Despite all of Phil's knowledge, gained over years and years of experience, Techno provides a fresh opinion. Sometimes he sees things that Phil doesn't. He wished Techno was here now. Even if Techno didn't know how to fix this, it would be better than sitting alone in a silent room, watching Ranboo like he might stop breathing at any moment.

Phil tied back a section of his hair, leaning over Ranboo and cooing softly when the poor thing shifted away from his hand. He gently touched Ranboo's forehead. Still burning hot. Phil chewed on his lip anxiously.

This couldn't go on for much longer; Phil knew that. The continuous strain on Ranboo's body and the lack of nutrition to keep it going would have serious consequences soon. He was already slow and sluggish in the small moments he spent awake, taking long moments to process Phil's words before responding.

Phil had never felt so much relief as he did seeing Techno emerge from over the horizon. He was carrying bags of supplies gathered from biomes far off and valuables traded for and mined alike. Normally, Phil would sit down with Techno, and they'd make an event out of sorting all the loot, but not wasn't the time.

He hobbled over to Techno through the deep snow, wings spread and fluttering with every step. They met almost as soon as Techno entered the fenced-off border Phil had created, both breathing heavily and releasing steam into the hair.

"Thank god you're back-" Phil says.

" _ That _ doesn't sound very promising. What'd I miss?" Techno asks, continue trudging through the snow but sending a glance to Phil.

"It's Ranboo, he-" Techno enters his house, quickly dropping the bag. "-he's sick."

"You've been taking care of him?" Techno asks, raising a brow and making his way into Phil's house. He puts a quick hand on Ranboo's head, as bundled up as he is, and hums.

"Well, yes-"

"Then what's there to worry about? You're the best healer I know. You worry too much about sick kids, Phil," Techno says, in a casualness that is so uniquely  _ Techno _ . At any other time, Phil would smile, or laugh, or take comfort and pride in Techno's words, but...

"Techno,  _ I don't know how to help. _ "

This makes Techno pause, finally  _ looking _ at Phil. At his messy hair, barely tied up in anything that's functional, the bald spots in his wings where he'd pulled too much at the feathers, and the hastily put-together outfit. God... Phil looks like a mess. Techno softens in a way only Phil could see, but a sense of comfort fills his chest at the action.

"I'm assuming you want me to take a look, then?"

"If you... if you would," Phil says, a tired smile on his face.

Techno nods, giving a smell "yep" and wandering back to Ranboo's side. He presses his fingers to Ranboo's forehead again, tail swaying thoughtfully. His ear flicks as he sits down, pushing aside the small nest of blankets Ranboo had made for himself. Ranboo whines in dissatisfaction, but Techno doesn't react.

Instead, he puts two fingers on Ranboo's neck, carefully counting his pulse before checking a few other odd things. Techno asks for a list of symptoms, which Phil happily provides. Finally, and oddly enough, Techno presses his forehead to Ranboo's and snorts quietly.

He grabs Ranboo's hands, checking under his nails.

"Ah. I see."

"What?" Phil asks, but Techno doesn't respond.

Much to Phil's confusion, Techno cradles Ranboo comfortingly to his chest as he rearranges the blankets to wrap fully around the lanky limbs, producing a low rumbling sound from his chest. Ranboo settles almost immediately, allowing himself to be maneuvered and cradled as Techno pleases.

Techno flutters about, gathering netherwart, providing little to no context as he picks supplies to what Phil thinks might be a potion. He collects the netherwart in a bowl, grinding it up with practiced ease and skill.

"Phil, could you get some glistering melon?"

"Uh... sure?"

Techno watches Phil get up and make his way out of the house, letting himself become distracted for the small moment. Ranboo wheezed lightly under him, and Techno was quick to shush the short, distressed breaths. Something deep in his chest hummed at the way Ranboo calmed down almost immediately, snuggling into Techno's solid weight and burying himself in the nest Techno had tucked him into. Absently, Techno's tail comes up to rest on the bed, curling around Ranboo's tightly packed frame.

The motions of crushing up netherwart and cutting up the warped and crimson fungi were strangely comforting to Techno. There was a special kind of familiarity Techno could rarely connect to. His ears flicked as he worked, making the occasional noise at Ranboo. Never before had the hybrid looked so... young. So needing of comfort and support. It brought out something in Techno. He didn't want to think about it.

Entering Techno's house, Phil breathed out a small sigh of... relief? Temporary peace? The way Ranboo's condition refused to improve under his care worried him beyond belief, but Techno seems to know what he's doing. It makes something settle in Phil's chest.

Speaking of which, Phil begins to start sorting through the first floor's unorganized chests, looking for Techno's requested item. The potion's chest had been shuffled around beyond saving. So many useless things had been shoved in it that apparently, they had run entirely out of glistering melons and never noticed. Phil sighs, mostly to himself, and pulls out some gold blocks from his ender chest.

As carefully as he can, while still keeping up the pace of caring for a sick child, he broke the blocks down into little, bite-sized nuggets. Next, he pulled out his emerald blocks, breaking them down with much more ease and sliding down the latter to trade for some melon slices. The villager ran a hard bargain, and Phil ended up paying way more than what a few measly melon slices were worth. This was for Ranboo, though, and at this point, Phil doesn't really care. He can always get more emeralds.

Phil combined the items with deft hands, producing a shining batch of glistering melon slices. Satisfied with his work, Phil gathers his things and hurries back into his house.

At that point, Techno was all but  _ purring _ at Ranboo, taking the melon slices with a silent thanks. He seems to have created an odd-looking sort of mush in his bowl while Phil was gone. It smells oddly sweet despite appearing to be made almost entirely out of Nether materials, something that was never particularly known for its  _ sweetness _ .

Techno squeezes the glistering melons over the bowl, catching the juices as they dribbled down, stirring it in gently. He speaks under his breath at Ranboo, who had curled up comfortably around him, almost like a cat.

Phil had never seen Techno act like...  _ this _ . The closest thing he had  _ ever _ witnessed was the kindness Techno extended to Hubert, handling him with so much care, holding and guiding Hubert like he might break at any time. Or when he fussed over the random foxes he would meet, showering them in golden apples and squealing happily when they gained the potion effects.

Phil knew he was in for something special when Techno started making noises he had never heard before, too. It was something akin to the small coos Phil used to give Wilbur when he was young, after a nightmare, and couldn't stop crying. When he was little and needed comfort for things he could not yet understand.

"Alright, Ranboo," Techno murmurs, snapping Phil out of his thoughts. He was leaning down so much his glasses were nearly falling off. "I need you to sit up for a minute, okay?"

Ranboo grumbles, which makes Techno snort. There were some stern words that Phil couldn't make out thrown in that eventually made Ranboo give up. He still looks a little delirious when he sits up, guided by Techno's hand, swaying slightly with confusion and nausea.

"Alright, I need you to down all of this," Techno says, presenting the bowl to Ranbo.

Ranboo looks disgusted for a second, then he gives a tentative sniff.

A look of surprise flashed across his face, and his stomach suddenly growled, making Phil chuckle a little. Ranboo takes the bowl in shaking hands, but Techno doesn't let go, gently guiding it to Ranboo's mouth and letting him take it in at his own pace. Occasionally, he'll pull the bowl back and say what Phil  _ thinks  _ is a snippy remark to  _ slow down, you'll choke _ , but Ranboo eats the whole thing regardless.

Techno hums happily at that.

"Feelin' better?" Techno asks, taking Ranboo's hand in placing it in the roots of his hair. Ranboo's spindly fingers curl around the soft hair, tiredly threatening in between the gaps and around his claws. He nods.

"Good. Get some rest."

Ranboo gives one final tired nod for the day before flopping back and passing out.

It takes Techno a while to snap out of his haze, staying planted right next to Ranboo, hunched over uncomfortably to lay against the teen's body. Ranboo's hand, despite being limp, doesn't leave Techno's hair, fingers still curled loosely into the little tangled mess they created.

When Techno does emerge, the first thing he does is stretch and crack his spine, setting down the now-empty bowl on the floor next to him. He scans the room, freezing when his eyes land on Phil.

"What was that?" Phil practically laughs, and Techno flushes a dark red,

"Look, it's-it's an illness common in squeakers," is all Techno says, and Phil suddenly understands.

Techno knew a lot of things about the Nether. He lived there once upon a time, so it made sense. He doesn't share what he knows freely, though. Knowledge is something valuable to him, and like everything else, he keeps it close to his chest.

He'd only allowed Phil bits and pieces of information over the years, the rest Phil could figure out for himself. This, though... This was something Techno had told Phil himself.

Piglins lived to protect their own. They are some of the most group-oriented things Phil has  _ ever _ encountered, and Techno is no exception. The older, stronger ones carried the brunt of the responsibilities, and Phil suspected that might've been Techno's role a long time ago.

From how Techno described it, there were no individual sets of parents. There weren't separate family groups in the same way humans have them,  _ everyone _ in the horde is family, and everyone is packed  _ full _ of protective child instincts. Techno, once again, isn't an exception. Much to Phil's amusement.

"So this is what, then, a... piglin disease?" Phil asks, skirting around the glaringly obvious implications of Techno's MIA horde.

"It's more of just a Nether thing," Techno corrects, running his thumb over some of Ranboo's exposed skin. "He's got netherrack under his nails."

"Oh... so how did you... who taught you this stuff?"

Techno ducks his head away from Phil.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Phil shifts. As entertaining as the situation previously was, it felt more like an open sore now.

"Why the melon?" Phil suddenly asks. Techno always had an easier time talking about the facts. The statistics and the  _ why _ and the  _ how _ . This was easier.

"Healin' properties," Techno supplies. "Helps keep the food down, and it tastes pretty good if you're used to it. Squeakers  _ love _ it."

Phil chuckles lightly. "There are times I wish I could eat your stupid fucking food. What's it like?"

Techno thinks for a second, looking anywhere but at Phil. "It's like... normal melon, but it's sweeter and got little flecks of gold that get stuck to your tongue sometimes. Juicer, too."

Phil sighs dramatically. This isn't the first time he wishes he could eat Nether foods.

Techno snorts to himself. "Y'know, most of the squeakers that caught this early on died."

" _ Oh my god _ , does that mean-"

"No, no, it's just... looking back, they probably were the ones with real weak immune systems. They wouldn't have made it anyway. The uh, the Nether comes with a lot of respiratory problems."

"Oh..."

"Yeah. The, uh, the elders who... who caught it were usually fine. We'd give them this, and it'd help."

Phil quietly hung on every word. Techno rarely offered information like this, especially not something so close to his actual experiences in the Nether. Silently, he begged to learn more. To understand his friend. His eyes flicked to Ranboo's hand still caught in Techno's hair, placed there by the man himself.

"Does your, uh, does the hand in your hair mean anything or...?"

Techno lowered his head to rest against Ranboo's shoulder, sticking out from under the blanket. The boy vwooped softly, and Techno responded with a sound of his own.

"...too far, Phil," he says.

Phil nods. Alright. "Are you actually gonna lay down with him or stay hunched over like that and fuck up your back?"

Techno snorts, a small laugh leaving him. "I'm thinkin' about it."

"Well, think faster." Phil finally stands up, stretching himself out after slouching for so long. "I'm gonna craft another bed and plonk it down up here and head to bed. You joining?"

"...we'll see."

Phil hummed, grabbing the bowl and setting it aside to be cleaned later. He ends up falling asleep before Techno gives him a definite answer, but he wakes up to quite a sight.

Techno had laid down next to Ranboo, keeping the kid pressed to his chest with his arms draped over the ruffled blankets. Phil repressed a string of  _ aww's _ and decided to busy himself with making food instead. When Techno woke and joined Phil in the kitchen, scoffing at Phil's quiet laughs, they didn't mention it. It was easier to make light of the situation, so Phil let himself be amused.

"Not a word," Techno says gruffly, right before practically flopping his entire body down onto Ranboo's limp, sleeping form.

Phil had to leave the house to bury his laughter in Steve's fur.

**Author's Note:**

> you know you're best friends when you can make boundaries with each other <3
> 
> join the [Discord server](https://discord.gg/7VymgKAVWR)!


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